Women’s Basketball: Terriers down Army 59-45 in fifth straight win

Boston University women’s basketball topped Army 59-45, beginning their season 5-0 for the first time since the 1978-79 season.

BU’s offense got off to a slow start, and the Terriers found themselves in a 9-2 deficit before senior point guard Katie Nelson got BU back in the game with a three-pointer. The Terriers went on a 7-0 run to close the gap and take the lead, heading into the second quarter with a 16-12 lead.

The contest remained close through the end of the first half after Army’s offense started to click. However, the Terrier defense shut the Black Knights down in the third, giving up just seven points during the entire period.

BU’s defense made life difficult for Army in the fourth as well, allowing the Terriers to close out the win.

Nelson lead the Terriers in scoring for the third game this season and finished with 15 points, five assists and two rebounds. Nelson was again careful with the ball, turning it over only once after registering just one giveaway against Colgate last weekend.

Although sophomore guard Maggie Pina continues to struggle with shooting efficiently, she was the Terriers’ second-leading scorer with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor and 2-of-9 shooting from deep.

The rest of BU’s vaunted sophomore class was strong as well, with forward Annabelle Larnard putting up seven points on the bench and Maren Durant and Sydney Johnson each scoring six points.

Durant’s five rebounds helped BU outrebound Army 38-22. Junior forwards Riley Childs and Chiara Tibbitt led the Terriers with seven rebounds apiece. BU had a significant advantage on the offensive glass with 16 offensive boards, giving the Terriers opportunities for second-chance points even when their early shots weren’t falling.

BU’s defense, which ranks second in the conference, held every Black Knight except Natalie Stralkus to single-digit points. While Stralkus sank four three pointers and scored 13 points off the bench, Army’s starters could not find their stride throughout the afternoon.

The Terriers did not allow standout freshman forward Lauren Lithgow to be a factor, and she ended with game with nine points and two assists after attempting only five shots. Senior guard Alisa Fallon never hit her stride either, going 7-for-9 from the floor for seven points.

Despite facing a physical Terrier defense, the Black Knights could not get to the line or convert their free throws when they were fouled. Kate Murray made Army’s only free throw all afternoon.

The Terriers and Black Knights match up again in West Point on Sunday. BU will look to stretch their record to 6-0 behind balanced scoring and lockdown defense, while Army will aim to split the series to pick up their second conference win after losing three straight games.

Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.